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8. Warp to weave (woof) transition is made by wrapping up and over left rung, across the top of the seat, down and around the right rung to the rear rung. 9. The first weave moves toward the front of the chair, passing first over two strips, then under two strips, and so on. 10. As the seat progresses, a butter knife acts as a ramp to ease insertion of the weavers. The chair's splay forms an unwoven section that will be filled in with separate pieces. chair over, wrap the split around the rung and this time go over three, under three, over three, and so forth to the rear rung. On the bottom, the three sequence is used to save time; the looser the weave the easier it is to weave, therefore, faster. Proceed around the rear rung, turn the chair back over, and instead of going over two, go over only one split initially, then follow the same sequence of under two, over two, etc. to the front rung. Turn the chair over and on the bottom go over only two this time, then, as before, resume under-three over-three weaving to the rear rung. On top again, the split will go under two this time but on the next run it will go under one, then you're back to the original over two and the sequence begins again. Underneath, from the beginning you start with over three, over two, over one, under three, under two and under one. At the end of this sequence, you start again with over three. As in the warp, all splices are made on the bottom, however, tying is unnecessary. Simply weave the ending split as usual, until it ends, preferably near the center of the seat. Then begin weaving the fresh split from the front rung, being careful to maintain the pattern. This is most easily done by looking at the pattern, counting over to the front rung following the sequence of over three, under three, etc. Weave in the fresh split accordingly and overlap it 6 or 7 in., hiding the loose end under an "under three" portion. Proceed with weaving the top and the bottom, keeping the splits running straight and snug. At this pOint, don't worry about the unwoven portions formed by the chair's splay. As completion nears, the weave tends to tighten and the weav- ing becomes increasingly difficult (particularly if you've wrapped the warp too tightly) . At this pOint, an un-serrated butter knife will help in weaving the final stages. Use the knife to enlarge the gap where the weave is to enter and slip it in. Remove the knife and do the same thing where the split will exit, using the knife as a ramp to guide the weaver out. The final weaver (Le. the rear rung is filled with woof) is simply woven in as before and tucked in underneath an under three sequence on the bottom. To fill in the splay, cut several strips 12 to 14 in. long. Often the ends cut off during weaving can be used. Then weaving from the front, and on the top, continue the pattern as before. Since the side rungs run at an angle relative to the front, each successive split will be slightly shorter than the last. I usually fill in both sides on top, then flip the chair over and finish the bottom. The ends on top and bottom are again tucked under. Completing your first seat may be a slow, exasperating experi- ence, particularly if you don't pay close attention to the proper beginning sequence. If you make mistakes, pull the woof out and start over. Your fingers may cry out for relief after four or five hours. If you must temporarily abandon the task, douse the seat on both sides with water (preferably warm) and cover with a wet towel. Repeat the dousing when you return. If you are absent longer and the. seat dries out completely, repeated drenching with hot water will renew the suppleness. When dry, the seat should be tight and elastic. A quick pass with 100-grit sandpaper on an orbital sander, followed by a propane torch, will eliminate any wisps that remain. Lastly, I usually brush on a liberal coat of thin linseed oil, but this is optional. 0 When he wrote this article, jeffrey Shriver lived in West Virginia. He has since moved to Tucson, Ariz., where, in addition to chairmaking, he 's exploring the architecture and furniture of the Southwest. January/February 1987 87